Topic 5: Clinical Interview

• Any assessment tool used such as clinical interview should possess qualities of: validity, reliability, and clinical utility
• Element common to psychological assessment is Feedback.
• Clinical psychologists rely most frequently on the clinical interview
• Skilled interviewers


  • Possess mastery of technical and practical aspects
  • Possess broad-based wisdom about the human interaction it entails
• Quieting Yourself


  Avoid being preoccupied by one's own thoughts which interrupts the ability to listen to the client well
• Being Self-Aware


  Interviewer's ability to know how they tend to affect others interpersonally and how others tend to relate to them
• Developing Positive Working Relationships


  • Attentive listening
  • Appropriate empathy
  • Genuine respect
  • Cultural sensitivity
• Listening


  Primary task of the interviewer
• The "3 Vs + B" of Listening

  • Visual/Eye Contact
  • Vocal Qualities
  • Verbal Tracking
  • Body Language
• Visual/Eye Contact


  Eye contact not only facilitates listening, but also communicates listening (client feels heard). Culture plays a significant role in the meaning of eye contact
• Vocal Qualities


  Not just the words but how those words sound to the client's ears by using pitch, tone, volume, and fluctuation in the interviewer's voice to let clients know that their words and feelings are deeply appreciated
• Verbal Tracking


  Repeat key words and phrases back to their clients to assure the clients that they have been accurately heard. Weave the client's language into their own
• Body Language


  Few general guidelines include: facing the client, appearing attentive, minimizing restlessness, and displaying appropriate facial expressions. But even with these guidelines are subject to cultural interpretation
• Referring to the Client by the Proper Name


  Inappropriately calling the client can jeopardize the client's sense of comfort with the interviewer
• Observing Client Behaviors


  Allows interviewers to consider not only what the client said but how the client said it, and that "how" component can offer important information to the psychologist about responding during the interview and understanding the client
• Rapport


  Refers to a positive, comfortable relationship between interviewer and client
• Technique


  What an interviewer does with clients. These are tools in the interviewer's toolbox
• Interview Styles


  • Directive style
  • Nondirective style
• Directive style


  Interviewers who use this style get exactly the information they need by asking clients specifically for it. Can sacrifice rapport in favor of information
• Nondirective style


  Interviewers who use this style allow the client to determine the course of the interview. Can facilitate rapport but fall short in gathering specific information
• Specific Interview Responses


  • Open-ended questions
  • Close-ended questions
  • Clarification
  • Confrontation
  • Paraphrasing
  • Reflection of Feeling
  • Summarizing
• Open-ended questions


  Allow for individualized and spontaneous responses from clients; tend to be relatively long, may include lot of information but may tend to lack of important details; building blocks of nondirective style
• Close-ended questions


  Allow for far less elaboration and self-expression by the client but yield quick and precise answers; building blocks of directive style
• Clarification


  Its purpose is to make sure the interviewer has an accurate understanding of the client's comments. It also communicates to the client that the interviewer is actively listening and processing what the client says
• Confrontation


  It is used by interviewers when they notice discrepancies or inconsistencies in a client's comments
• Paraphrasing


  It is similar to clarifications but focus on apparently contradictory information provided by clients
• Reflection of Feeling


  It echoes the client's emotions. It is intended to make clients feel that their emotions are recognized, even if their comments did not explicitly include labels of their feelings
• Summarizing


  Interviewers may choose to summarize the client's comments. It lets clients know that they have been understood but in a more comprehensive, integrative way; conveys to the client that the interviewer has a good grasp on the "big picture"
• Conclusions


  Take on many forms, based on the type of interview, the client's problem, the setting, or other factors. Essentially similar to a summarization but may provide an initial conceptualization of the client's problem that incorporates a greater degree of detail, may consist of a specific diagnosis, or may involve recommendations such as treatment and further evaluation
• Note Taking


  There are good reasons for taking notes, such as written notes being more reliable than the interviewer's memory. There are also drawbacks, such as the process of note taking can be a distraction for both the interviewer and the client
• Audio and Video Recordings

  Unlike note taking, recording a client's interview requires that the interviewer obtain written permission from the client. Recordings can, with some clients, hinder openness and willingness to disclose information
• clinical utility: the extent to which the assessment tool improves delivery of services or client outcome.
• THE INTERVIEWER: the one who conducts a clinical interview
• Quieting Yourself: Avoid being preoccupied by one’s own thoughts which interrupts the ability to listen to the client well.
• Being Self-Aware : interviewer’s ability to know how they tend to affect others interpersonally and how others tend to relate to them.
• Developing Positive Working Relationships: Interview clients tend to become psychotherapy clients, so building positive working relationships is necessary.
• listening: \primary task of the interviewer. o can be broken down into even more fundamental building blocks of attending behaviors called the “3 Vs + B”
• 3Vs + B of Listening: Visual/Eye Contact, Vocal Qualities, Verbal Tracking, Body Language
• Eye contact


  • Facilitates listening
  • Communicates listening (client feels heard)
  • Culture plays a significant role in the meaning of eye contact
• Vocal Qualities


  • Not just the words but how those words sound to the client's ears
  • Using pitch, tone, volume, and fluctuation in the interviewer's voice
  • To let clients know that their words and feelings are deeply appreciated